Sawmill set woees



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' F. E. .BIG'KBORD SAWMILL SET WORKS. No. 533,001. Patented Jan. 22,1895..

Invent@ Attrney.

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' I'. E. BIOKPORD.

SAWMILL SET WORKS,

No. 533,001. Patented Jem. 22, 1895.

Inventor;

Attorney.

Q IIII (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

P. E. BIOKPORD.

SAWMILL SET WORKS.

No. 533,001. Patented Jan. 22, 1895.

VVitneSses:

Attorney.

UNITED STATES f PATENT (')FFIOE FRANK E. BIOKF'ORD, OF LOOK HAVEN, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIGNOR OF ONE-HALF To JAMES A. BIOKFORD, OF SAME PLACE.

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I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 533,001, dated `January 22, 1895.

Application ined April 24, 1894. sain No. 508.895 (Nomaden .To a/ZZ whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, FRANK E. BICKFORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lock Haven, in the county of Clinton and State of' Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sawmill-Setworks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of ret'erence marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

.My invention relates particularly to saw mill set works, wherein the object is to adjust and set the knees of such a machine which carry the log to the saw at the required distance to the saw so that different thicknesses of the lumber may be sawed with the utmost accuracy and uniformity.

My invention is also applicable to mechanisms for other purposes than sawing lumber, wherein the utmost nicety of adjustment is desirable of any carrying support which it is desired to set at any relative distancel to another object.

Heretofore saw mill set works with which I am acquainted have been `almost universally made with ratchet gear wheels, pawls and levers to set the knees and release the same, and the principal object of the diiferent improvements always has been to provide against lost motion.

To prevent absolutely the occurrence of lost motion is also the principal object of my invention.

Other objects are to dispense with all setting gearing and pawls, to effect with one lever the operationsof setting and releasing, to otherwise reduce the number of parts, and to produce a machine ,of great efficiency and simplicity.

To these ends my invention consists of the parts andtheir combinations as hereinafter described and particularly set forth in the claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figural is a plan; Fig. 2, an elevation of the front of the machine; Fig. 3, avertical transverse view partly in section; Figs. et and 5, details of spring jaws, and Fig. 6 a vertical side section of one arm of the lever showing its connection' with the main shaft and one of the springclamping jaws.

Referring tothe drawings the mechanism comprising my invention is mounted upon a carriage A. B is the actuating shaft having its bearings in the end cross pieces of the carriage, and carrying the cog wheels, C, a spring F, coiled upon the shaft, with one end secured to one of the longitudinal beams of the carriage, two friction wheels, G, G, a brake wheel, H, and a setting and releasing lever, I, having arms, i, z', which encircle at their inner ends hubs, i2, of the wheels, G, G.

'E are kneesagainst which is placed the article to be sawed and which are advanced by the'locked racks D moved by the cogs C on shaft B, the said knees being formed with lateral ribs or flanges which travel in grooves in the head blocks.

L represents an arched metallic strap, its opposite ends secured to the framework, and

perforated or recessed at regular and suitable intervals to receive a locking bolt, fm, on which bolt thelever I rests when the machine is set. The construction of the clamping lever I is best shown in Fig. 2. It is composed of the handle, i3, a top cross piece,4, and the strap arms, z', already mentioned, mounted and turning upon the' hubs of the friction wheels. The top cross piece i4 is, on each side of its center, provided with a recess, o, to receive each a gripping jaw, P. Each jaw is pivoted in the recess, o, on a screw bolt, o. These jaws are each provided near its outer end with a slot, p', and the slotted end clasps the periphery and sides of the rim of'a friction wheel, G., The jaws project laterally from the lever, as shown, ,and by this construction and arrangement of the parts the jaws engage directly, positively and instantaneously with the wheels on the slightest forward movement. of the lever, thus preventing all lost motion which might otherwise occur by a less direct and positive connection.

Within the recess, o, behind each jaw is placed a sti coiled spring, o2, which serves IOO j tion wheel G.

R is a spring brake lever pivoted on a bracket, r', secured to the carriage, one end of which is provided with a slotted jaw, s, to

engage the periphery and the sides of the rim of the brake wheel H, and the opposite end, t, of which rests upon a coiled spring T which serves to maintain the grip of the lever upon the brake wheel, until the brake is released, as hereinafter described.

The friction wheels and the brakevwheel are :rigidly secured to the shaft B by means of splines.

The operation of the machine is as follows After a log, a piece of timber, or other article to be reduced to desired dimensions, is placed on the carriage in front of the knees, the lever I is raised, gripping, carrying and turning instantly, by action of the gripping jaws, P, the friction wheels, G. This movement of the said wheels rotates the shaft B, the brake wheel, H and the cogs C, which latter carry forward the racks D within the head blocks,

which advance the knees, E, and these carry forward the article to the saw. The exact distance is determined by the length of the arc through which the actuating lever, I, travels along the semicircular strap, L, which strap may be graduated, and which distance is then fixed against any possible return movement by the action of the brake lever R upon brake wheel IfI rigidly secured to the actuating shaft. This forward movement of the parts is against the action of the coiled spring F upon the shaft, which movement tends to wind the said spring on the shaft. The releasing movement, to throw the supports and wheels back, is eifected by depressing the lever I until it reaches the end t of the brake lever R, and pressure upon that end by the lever I forces down the spring T and lifts the jaw of the brake lever from engagement with the brake wheel I-I. The spring F is now free to throw the shaft in an opposite direction, and consequently the various wheels and the knees. In depressing the lever for releasing, the pin, m, against which the lever rests, is first removed from the semi-circular strap. In some instances the length and weight of the clamping jaws P may be such as to effect the clamping on the friction wheels G, without the use of the springs. Although the releasing spring F is shown as placed between the friction wheels, G, G, yet it is more desirable in practice to secure it to the same shaft but outside of the set works.

It will be noticed that by the rigid manner in which the brake wheel is held and consequently the actuating shaft, by the spring brake lever, R, against backward movement, the works may be set at the smallest possible distance without the possible occurrence of the slightest lost motion, and thus a perfect uniformity in the dimensions of the article attained.

The set works may be provided, if desired, with a duplicate set of levers, jaws, &;c., to venable the machine to be worked in opposite directions both backward and forward, producing the same effect as in moving but one way only, as is sometimes the case with other forms of set works.

Having thus described my in vention, what I claim is- 1. The combination with a spring actuated shaft, of two friction wheelsl rigidly secured to said shaft, a lever mounted between said wheels to set and release the same, said lever provided with a handle, a top inclosing crosspiece connected to said handle, and two gripping jaws, projecting laterally from the lever, each jaw pivoted within said cross piece at one side of its center, and each jaw slotted at its outer end to clasp the periphery and sides of one of said friction Wheels, substantially as described.

v 2. In set works the combination with a main actuating rotating shaft, of a controlling releasing spring on said shaft, friction wheels and an independentbrake wheel rigidly fixed to said shaft, a clamping and releasing lever connected with said friction wheels, springV locking jaws mounted on said lever and adapted to engage with said friction wheels, to clamp and hold the same on the elevation of said lever, and a spring brake engaging with said brake wheel, the said releasing lever on lowering the same engaging with said brake to release the machine, substantially as described.

3. In combination with the carriage and actuating shaft, the brake wheel mounted on said shaft the spring brake lever pivoted on the carriage, one end of said lever provided with a clutch to engage the periphery, and sides of the rim of the brake wheel, the opposite end of said lever provided with a spring, friction wheels mounted on the same shaft, a clutch lever to engage with and move forward said friction wheels, said clutch lever adapted on lowering the same to engage with and release said brake lever; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

FRANK E. BICKFORD.

Witnesses:

JOHN W. HARRIS, Trios. C. CARSON.

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